Laguna musicians mentor fifth graders
-- Mary A. Castillo
Fifth-grade students from Top of the World and El Morro elementary
schools will join with the Laguna Community Concert Band at 6 p.m. on May
6 for a one-hour program of American music conducted by William Nicholls.
Back in March, members of the 4-year-old Community Band voluntarily
went to the schools and worked with small student groups.
Margaux Reckard, who plays the trumpet at El Morro said, “I worked
with Bill Sharp and he helped me improve my tone and play complicated
pieces.”
Enthusiasm has been high among students and their parents, said Carol
Reynolds, who has been coordinating the program.
“This has been quite an experiment,” she said. “The parents have been
incredibly enthusiastic.”
Laura Combs, a piano teacher whose daughter Kameron is in the band,
couldn’t agree more.
“The Community Band has ignited a frail school music program,” she
said. “The kids have gotten more out of a 30-minute session with the band
members than a whole year at school.”
The Community Band hopes to continue the program with next year’s
fifth-grade band students, Reynolds said. They also are hoping to receive
a Community Assistance Grant from the city when it announces the
recipients in June.
“We even recruited new band members,” Reynolds said. “Some of the
parents brought their instruments to rehearsal and want to continue to
play.”
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